The Betrothal
by Simply Amaryllis
Summary: Prince James of Gryffindor has just turned 20 years old. However, in order to inherit the throne, he must marry before he is 21. And not only does he have to find someone quickly, but members of the royal council are being poisoned. So all he has to do is find his life partner whilst also trying to help the crown find the killer of their nobles. Easy, right?
1. Chapter 1

Prince James Sirius of Gryffindor was not enjoying his day. It had started well enough, with a delicious breakfast in bed to celebrate his 20th birthday. But as soon as he was fully dressed, his Father King Harry James had knocked at his door with less than exciting news.

 _"_ _Happy Birthday Jamie!" He grinned, "Twenty! Merlin, I remember being twenty! In fact, it was the first birthday I spent with your Mother."_

 _James' Mother was Ginevra Molly Potter, formerly Weasley. From what the Prince had been told, their marriage had been a controversial one. His Mother's family were an old and noble family, but several generations ago had fallen into a dispute with the rulers of Slytherin. Since then, most people in high society had steered clear of the family. That was until his Father and Mother met._

 _Despite the council's attempts, none of the Ladies that they had suggested as prospective Brides, not even Lady Chang, a girl that James' Father had once been rather sweet on as a younger teen. Instead, he insisted that he was to propose to Ginny. Initially, the council argued against it. But Harry persisted so eventually they relented._

 _"_ _Thanks Dad" He smiled back at his Father. The two had always been close. It was inevitable really, seeing as his Father was the King, and James was the Heir Apparent. The pair had always spent a lot of time together so the dark-haired prince could learn all the things he needed to so he'd be ready to take over from King Harry._

 _"_ _Sadly, Jamie, I'm not just here to wish you a happy 20_ _th_ _. Today also happens to be the first Council Meeting scheduled now that you're Twenty, and so the Council members have decided that you should be in attendance." The older grimaced._

 _James sighed. On any other day it would have been okay. But he really didn't feel like it today. It wasn't that he was spoilt or anything – in his opinion, his parents had brought him up to be very aware and sensible. Even so, that didn't mean that he wanted to spend his birthday (in his eyes, the one day that he was meant to relax on) meeting with a bunch of stuffy nobles. But if the council members said he needed to go, it would come across as rude and petty to not turn up._

So, that's where he found himself currently sat on his Father's right-hand side. The council room was a functional room off to the side of the throne room. It was big enough to fit a large table with chairs surrounding it, but other than that there was no other furniture or decoration to the room. James' father didn't see the point of it.

The first to speak, following the initial small talk that was apparently necessary, was Aberforth Dumbledore:

"Prince James Sirius, I believe I have not yet congratulated you on your 20th Birthday." James nodded in thanks to this statement, "And I wish to draw your attention to the laws regarding your age and position in this Kingdom." Aberforth Dumbledore was the current Minister for International Co-operation. Consequently, one of his duties was that any new laws that were being considered were his domain and responsibility. Of course, the King had to agree with the law for it to be enforced, but it would only be brought to royal attention if Aberforth felt it was worthy. A second duty of Aberforth's was making sure that Gryffindor had a good relationship with the countries it shared a planet with. Therefore, it was no surprise that he was the minister responsible for ensuring what he was about to say was enforced.

"What laws?" James asked.

"It is expected that, upon turning 20 years of age, the heir to the throne of Gryffindor is to find a spouse by the age of 21."

That was the moment that James' day went from frustrating to terrible. "What? I'm not getting married!" He stood from his seat, causing the chair to scrape against the stone floor with a screech.

"I'm afraid, Prince, that you have little choice. That is, if you still wish to succeed your Father." The deep baritone of Kingsley Shacklebolt, the head of Law Enforcement, rang through the room. James frowned, and looked to his Father in an ask for help. However, by the grave look on the older man's face, he was not likely to find much help there.

"What? Of course I wish to succeed. I've been learning how to rule since I was born!" He exclaimed. If his siblings had asked, he would have denied that his voice was increasing in pitch as his distress also grew.

"Well then, you need to be married by the end of your 21st Birthday. The law states that in order to succeed you must be married by that time. Otherwise you will have to step down from your position as Heir and Prince Albus will assume the role." Kingsley stated with an apologetic tone.

"No! No that's not fair! Being unmarried doesn't make me a lesser ruler, you all know that I am fully capable to rule without a spouse until I feel that I am ready to marry!" James rushed out. He couldn't marry someone. How the hell was he supposed to find someone to marry that met the council's approval in less than a year! He didn't want to be stuck in a loveless marriage of convenience. He wanted what his parents had. Happiness and family. He couldn't do it!

But he couldn't just abandon Gryffidnor like that. He loved Al, of course he did, but his younger brother was not prepared to be King. James had been learning his whole life, whereas Al was being taught how to be a Prince, a Diplomat that would travel and form alliances. Plus, James knew that Albus had no intention of marrying so putting him in this very situation would be cruel. Merlin, what would he do?

Suddenly, James knew that he needed to get out of the stifling room. He needed air and space. How was he meant to make a decision that would change his life forever when all he had eight faces – ranging from looking at him with concern and sadness, to barely hiding their agitation – staring into him with expectation of his answer. So he pushed the chair behind him away sending it to the floor with a clatter that made Minister Vane jump, and walked out of the chamber, barely resisting the urge to run.

The next hour or so was a blur, but the oldest Prince did manage to recall that he had headed straight to the stables and mounted his dapple-grey stallion, Raud (short for Marauder). He had then ridden out to his favourite spot in the woods. It was a quiet little creek, a place he had discovered around 7 years ago when he had run off after breaking an heirloom. Since then the spot was a place he viewed as an escape from the world. The dark-haired prince was under no illusions that the place was secret – his family and the royal guard were well aware of his visits to the place. But they were also aware that when he came here it was to get away from them, so they usually let him be.

It appeared that that day he wasn't to be alone, however. Around an hour after James had arrived, King Harry followed on his mare, Hedwig. At this point, the younger male was still in turmoil about it. How was he supposed to choose?

"Jamie?"

"What am I supposed to do, Dad?" James didn't look at his Father. Something about looking at his expression would stress him out too much.

"That's up to you I'm afraid Jamie. It wouldn't be fair for me to tell you what to do. If you choose to be King, you're going to be making hard decisions." James knew his Dad was right, and saying that was probably a very sensible thing to do. But he couldn't help the anger swelling in him.

"Why the hell is this a Law? It's archaic and should have been abolished! You didn't have any problems with it, so why are they pushing it on me?"

"Jamie, you know that your Mother and I married when I was 19. The only reason it wasn't brought up was because I had already fulfilled the terms. By the time I was 21, your Mother was already pregnant with you." King Harry explained, trying to calm the fuming Prince.

"That doesn't explain why though!" He raged.

"To form alliances primarily and provide heirs. If you are married and have an heir when you assume the role as King, your claim is the firmest it can be. And if the marriage is politically smart, then it will prevent disputes with our neighbours. As much as I love your Mother, the marriage was not very political. And as you know, the consequences of that have been arguments with Slytherin, and sometimes even Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Arguments that you could prevent by marrying smartly." The King's words did little to remove the stress of the decision for James, but the placating tone did give the young man a chance to take in what was said. He sighed.

"Will I have a choice? In who I marry?"

"Yes. The council will try and name a number of suitable spouses. You will be expected to meet all of them, but you don't have to decide anything yet. And it's entirely your choice who you marry really. As long as there is mine and your Mother's approval and they accept within the year, that is." The older man explained to his son.

James sighed again, his thoughts darting back to his younger brother. He knew Al wasn't ready, and didn't want to be King. Plus, James did want to be King. It had been expected of him since birth and he refused to let his parents down like that. He looked over to his Father, who was watching the water trickle through the creek silently.

"Fine. I'll try." He mumbled, glad that Lily wasn't there to tease him about the improper behaviour. King Harry smiled, and patted him on the shoulder.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. You know, your Grandparents met that way too. And from what I've been told, your Grandmother _really_ wasn't a fan of your Grandfather, it was only about a week before his 21st that she agreed to marry him." Hearing this brought a smile to James' face. He loved hearing about his Dad's parents, but these stories were few and far between due to their death when King Harry was a baby. "I'll head back and let the council know that you've agreed to meet with their suggestions. But just know that your Mother and I won't force you into anything. If you don't find someone, then we'll know you've tried." Harry then stood and walked over to Hedwig, pulling himself into the saddle and riding off, leaving James to sit in silence and contemplate the year to follow.


	2. Chapter 2

It was just over a month following his meeting with the council, and so far James had met with two people. If the council had gotten their way, then the Heir to the Throne would have met with around triple that by now. But James was adamant that he would be in control of his future, and that meant saying no to all the snobby/money-grabbing/lacking-a-backbone options that the nobles presented to him.

Luckily though, he was getting a break from their hounding by the arrival of Teddy Lupin, his Father's Ward. They had grown up to be close friends, and James was always reminded by his Mother how much he had looked up to the older boy when he was growing up. So it was a welcome surprise when it was announced at dinner that the young man would be coming to stay at the castle for a couple of months.

So here he was, stood at the steps to the castle. In front of him was King Harry dressed in his best robes, beside him was Queen Ginny in a deep red dress. Next to James were his siblings, Albus and Lily. Finally, the reception party was completed by those who made up the council:

Aberforth Dumbledore and Kingsley Shacklebolt were stood to the side of the party most likely discussing something law-related. James didn't really care. The pair were easy enough to get along with, and were clearly cut from the same cloth which could be seen from their shared rough mannerisms that hid great intelligence that made them perfect for their jobs. The council was also made up of Romilda Vane, Cormac McClaggen, Dolores Umbridge and Minerva McGonagall. Lady Vane was the current Minister for Health on the council. As the youngest in the council (being the same age as King Harry James), she was greatly respected in her field and anyone who encountered her to see why. She was an outspoken woman, who was always sure to make her opinion on the matter clear to those around her. James didn't mind her, although that by no means meant that she was great company is his eyes. Too much of a workaholic for him.

Cormac McClaggen was stood next to Romilda, his calculating eyes running over the group assembled. James didn't like Lord McClaggen at all. He was arrogant and definitely liked himself more than anyone should. But to his credit, he was very good in his role as the Minister of Finance. Since he has assumed the position just 6 years ago at 37, Gryffindor's finances had greatly improved. King Harry was not a big fan of McClaggen either, but as King he had to acknowledge that the man knew what he was doing. However, as much as James could see the logic behind his appointment, he could not agree with the choice for Education Minister.

Dolores Umbridge, in James' opinion, was a deplorable woman. As head of education in the Kingdom she was old fashioned and unpopular. However, she had held her position in the council, not that James knew how. All he did know was that if she was still in the council (unlikely considering her age) by the time he was King then she'd be the first to go.

The final member, Minerva McGonagall, was the head of Environment. She was a strict woman who always made sure to get straight to the point. Growing up, James seemed to be unable to do anything mischievous without her noticing and scolding him. Probably because she knew that King Harry would never discourage the behaviour himself. Alongside Umbridge and Dumbledore, Minerva was one of the oldest on the council. But there was nobody better than her for the role.

They weren't waiting long before a horse's hooves could be heard against the stone paving that made up the courtyard. Not long after, a large brown horse followed with Teddy Lupin sat atop it. Teddy pulled the horse to a stop, and swung his leg over, landing on the floor with a slight thud. He then proceeded to head over to James' parents, grabbing them both in a warm hug. It was at that point that Lily decided to join the fun, leaving James and Albus to watch the scene with grins spread widely on their faces. Once the four had broken apart and shared a few words, Teddy approached the two brothers. The older prince stepped forward happily pulling him into a hug.

"Hey Teddy, long time no see!" He pulled away and grinned.

"I know." The older laughed, flicking his light brown hair out of his eyes. "Look at you! You look like you're ready to take over from your Father any day now!" James joined him in laughter.

"Definitely not yet! Plus, there's all the fun with marriage and the council." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh?" A curious eyebrow was lifted.

"Apparently, it's law that I need to be married by my 21st in order to become King." He answered. "The council have been trying to get me to meet their 'suitable matches' for the last month! It's tiring."

"So, they're trying to find you the perfect queen eh?" Teddy asked with a sympathetic expression.

"Or Prince. I'm a carrier so they're actually willing to acknowledge my bisexuality despite the complaints of Umbridge. So far the only decent two have been Serenity Davies of Ravenclaw and Jade Flint of Slytherin though."

"Well, you can count on me to take your mind off it then!" Teddy then moved on to Al, ruffling the 18 year old's hair playfully. In response, the younger Prince pulled him into a welcoming hug.

This was taken as a cue by the welcoming group to head into the palace smiling and chatting.

By the time the sun was dropping below the horizon that evening, the very same group could be found in the throne room. Said room was filled with several large tables that were decadently covered with an assortment of foods. Alongside the original group were a number of other nobles and their families, there to celebrate the visit of their King's ward. Teddy himself was seated off to the side of the room chatting to some of the other people he had grown up with, and from his position in the room James could spy the older man chuckling at some impression Vickie was doing.

A tap on the shoulder pulled James' attention back to his own conversation with his younger sister.

"Did you hear me? Mum said that I could visit Ravenclaw and apprentice with Lady Scamander in Magical Creatures!" She exclaimed, and James could see that she was barely resisting the urge to bounce on the balls of her feet.

"That's amazing Lils! When are you going?" He smiled.

"Well, I need to write to Lady Scamander and confirm my apprenticeship. Then I need to organise accommodation, and Mum's making me take a couple of soldiers with me." Lily rolled her eyes, "When all that's done I'll be going for a year before having to come back here to practice for a year. Then I'll be assessed and finally have a Mastery!"

Princess Lily was currently 16 years old, not that you'd be able to tell. She was incredibly smart for her age and this resulted in the people adoring her. In their eyes, she was the beautiful and intelligent woman set to marry a foreign Prince and cement an alliance. She was fine with this herself as long as two conditions were fulfilled:

1\. She was able to continue her studies when she was married. Her sex doesn't negate her brain's ability to twist its way through the majority of puzzles presented to her.

2\. She was able to teach her children herself. Tutors were allowed to assist but she was in charge.

James had no doubt that she would find a Prince or King to marry that would respect (or learn to respect) her.

"I reckon I'll end up just staying with Lady Scamander, as it'll make learning much more accessible. Plus Mum and Dad know Lady Scamander quite well from when they were younger! Mum said she's even thinking of coming with me when I first head across the border. Only for a few days mind you, the Kingdom would fall apart without her!" Lily laughed.

"Well make sure to say 'hi' to Lorcan and Ly for me, I've not seen them in so long!"

"Don't worry, I will." She smiled happily at him, before her eyes drifted to behind him.

"You alright Lils?" James asked.

"Yeah, I just keep on seeing people looking at you oddly." James rolled his eyes.

"What's new? At risk of sounding arrogant, people always look at me, I'm a Prince."

"You weren't at risk there Jamie, you were plain old sounding arrogant!" Teddy's voice came from over his shoulder. James just turned and shoved him lightly, causing the older to stumble. Lily just giggled at their antics before clarifying.

"No, Jamie, they look at you because you're an idiot. You too Teddy!" She was interrupted by two exclamations of protest, "Shh, what I meant was the council members keep on giving you looks. Like they're assessing something." She speculated.

"Assessing? Probably something to do with this marriage business." Teddy voiced, "Maybe they've spotted a possible contender!" He elbowed James jokingly.

"Oh Merlin." Was all James had to say to that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Super sorry I didn't upload it on Saturday, I was distracted on Saturday by uni work and ill last night. So here it is. I'll try not to be late in future, but knowing me and poor timekeeping abilities I cant guarantee anything! Either way, enjoy!**

Two weeks into Teddy's visit and James was seated once again the council room, the Ministers and his Father also present with him. Teddy had also been asked to attend the meeting, for what James had no idea. By the looks of it, Teddy didn't either.

The majority of the meeting was dull (as usual) and Teddy and James ended up trying to make the other laugh from their positions at the table. Eventually, James managed to draw a chuckle that sounded more like a splutter from the older male when he did a (rather accurate, in his opinion) impression of Umbridge speaking.

The laugh naturally drew the attention of the room to Teddy, who looked at James accusingly as he blushed under their scrutiny.

"Well, seeing as the pair of you have chosen this moment to draw attention to yourselves," Lord Dumbledore spoke, "I suppose it would also be a good time to explain why young Lord Teddy is here."

James slumped into his seat again, expecting the ensuing discussion to be as dull as the ones before it.

"Prince James, seeing as you have taken it upon yourself to be incredibly picky in your choice of marriage partner-" He ignored James' mumble of 'sorry I want to be happy', "we – the council and I – have decided that we shall pick for you."

This got his attention.

"What?" He turned to his Father, "Did you know about this?"

The lack of title when addressing his Father earnt him a cuff on the ear from Lady McGonagall. He glared at the elderly woman. The King was his Dad and he could address him how he liked!

King Harry sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "No I didn't. But I suspected it and I'm sorry Jamie but they have every right to do so. They are the law, I am just the person who enacts it. Whilst that usually gives me the final say, with matters of inheritance I have very little control."

James glowered at the table, crossing his arms and slumping further into his chair. Great, now the only bit of control he had over his marriage was gone.

"Who is it then?" He grumbled.

Aberforth nodded at him, a sign of his respect for the way he was handling it (because, let's face it, he was still in the room at least) before turning to Teddy, "Lord Lupin, we have decided that you would be a suitable spouse for Prin-"

"Excuse me?" James burst out, his hands flying into the air. Teddy was just sat stock still in his chair, shock written on his face.

"Lord Lupin and yourself are to be married." Umbridge said with a satisfied grin on her face.

"You are clearly compatible, you were just laughing with each other five minutes ago." Lady Vane voiced from her seat on the far end of the table.

"But, what about the alliances?" James weakly questioned, grasping at straws.

Dumbledore once again was the one to speak, "Actually, Prince James, Lord Lupin is incredibly well suited in that aspect. His Mother, Lady Lupin, grew up in Hufflepuff and formed a number of strong connections. This includes ones with several nobles who are currently close to the Queen there. However, Lady Tonks was born in Slytherin and has family who still reside there. One of which is King Draco. Furthermore, with your ability to carry, any heirs you have will be strong and have many connections."

"Oh." He looked over at Teddy again. The older appeared to have composed himself but James could see that he was still trying to work out how to respond. They caught each other's eyes, Teddy silently asking if he was okay, if he was coping. The oldest Prince didn't know how to respond. Lady Vane took the lack of further protest from James as acceptance apparently, as she chose that moment to give further details of the match.

"With discussion, it has been decided amongst the council members that the wedding will take place at the end of the next moon cycle." She said in a matter of fact tone.

"So soon?" The King asked, "He's got almost a whole year before he's 21." His Father tried to bargain for him.

"If the suitor were one Prince James was unfamiliar with then perhaps we would be willing to hold the wedding at a later date. But there is no need for there to be a 'getting to know each other' period, seeing as the two more-or-less grew up together." Lady Vane said.

"But wh-" James started only to be cut off by the stern woman.

"I'm afraid, Prince James, that it has been decided. As you should know by now, the crown has a say in all affairs except those of inheritance for the interest of the kingdom."

James felt his heart sink to his feet and tears well up into his eyes. His Father, who had always been good at noticing these things, decided to end the meeting there. The councillors walked out of the room chatting amiably, and Teddy slipped out quietly leaving the King and his Heir in the room.

As soon as James felt his Father's reassuring hand on his shoulder, James lost it.

Once he had calmed down enough to finally think, he decided to once again ride out to the spot in the woods that was just for him. However, the ride there was interrupted this time by a voice shouting his name.

"Jamie!" He turned, pulling his horse to a walk from the slow canter Raud had been settled in. When he was slow enough to do so, he finally noticed Teddy trotting up to him on one of the palace horses.

"What is it, Teddy?" He asked.

"Can I join you? I think we should probably talk about this, all things considered." The older asked, pulling up alongside James. James just sighed and nodded.

"What do you think of all of this? I mean, I kinda… freaked out and you didn't."

"To be honest, I don't see why it's such a bad thing." Teddy voiced, getting a look from James for the statement, "What? Think about it Jamie. Yes, we never thought we'd end up married but we do get along really well and politically it does tick all of the boxes."

What Teddy had said did make James think. He was right – at least they knew that they would get along. And at least it wasn't some stranger. The two of them knew almost everything about each other, including flaws.

"I suppose I can see what you mean." James admitted. "I just never thought I'd marry for necessity. I mean, my parents married because they loved each other, not because my Dad had to for the country."

"Well, I suppose it could be worse. Marrying one of your best friends isn't the worst things that could happen." Teddy chuckled, leaning over to give James a one-armed hug from his horse.

"Yeah, I suppose" He said, pulling away from the hug after a moment. "Thank you. You're definitely gonna make this a lot better for me than I imagined!" He admitted.

"No worries Jamie. It's what I'm here for, right?" He asked with a cheeky smile, making James chuckle nervously. Before James could really work himself up into another panic, there was yet again a shout of his name.

"Prince James! Lord Lupin!" The shout was followed by the thundering of hooves as the Guard charged in their direction.

James pulled Raud around and guided him into a canter to meet the Guard, hearing Teddy follow him.

"What's happened?" Teddy shouted.

Pulling up in front of them, the Guard took a moment to catch his breath from the apparently quick and hard journey before relaying his message, "The body of one of the Council has been found in their chambers! The citadel is on high alert until the cause has been identified, so I have been sent to bring you back to the castle, Your Highness, My Lord." He bowed his head, before urging them to ride back to said castle with him.


	4. Chapter 4

Upon arrival at the castle, the two were informed that there was a meeting in the throne room with the Royal Household (Royal Family and Servants employed at the castle) and the council members. The men burst into the room, uncaring of the commotion they caused in doing so. James walked straight up to his Parents, standing before their thrones.

"What happened?" He queried. He felt Teddy come to a stop just behind him.

Queen Ginevra Molly was the one to reply, "Lady Vane was found dead in her chambers. Lady Hermoine took a look at her body, and suspects a form of poison. She was just in the middle of her report when you arrived." She raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the pair, gesturing to the Court Physician to continue. Lady Hermione was a close friend to the King growing up, and had found that her intellectual talents and ability to scold misbehaviour made her the perfect Court Physician. James had found himself on the wrong end of one of her lectures many a time.

He bowed apologetically to his parents before stepping to stand behind their thrones, sending an alarmed look across at Teddy before letting the brown-haired healer continue.

"As I was saying," She shot a wry smile at the Prince and his companion, "Whilst the circumstances of Lady Romilda's death did seem to match the symptoms of poison, the poison in question can be found easily, and is in fact edible normally but poisonous in large or concentrated quantities. Therefore, whilst it may at first appear to be an act of malicious intent, we need to consider that it may have been an accident."

King Harry nodded in thanks to Hermione before standing from his Throne, Queen Ginny joining him in this action, "The Council and I will look into this death with haste. If there has been foul play, the culprit will be punished appropriately. However, until we find evidence of this, the situation will be treated as an unfortunate incident." Then the ruling couple left the Throne Room, leaving the rest of the members in attendance to start discussing the situation between themselves.

James headed over to Hermione, who was currently talking with Lady Minerva. They both turned to him when they noticed his approach, and he soon felt as his siblings came up alongside him to join the conversation.

"Sorry to interrupt." He apologised to the two women.

"Not at all, Prince James. I was just leaving." Said the eldest of the group, "But I expect to see you at the emergency council meeting tomorrow." She looked at him sternly before walking in the direction of the doors. The oldest Prince turned to Hermione as Teddy started enquiring about the circumstances of the tragedy.

"Truthfully, do you think it was an unfortunate accident or something more worrying?" He asked, an anxious tone to his voice. James didn't blame him. If there was a murderer about then it would definitely need dealing with as quickly as possible.

"It's just what I said to everyone else. It could be foul play but it could equally just be an accident. As Lady Minerva stated, there will be a meeting tomorrow. I will be there also, after having done a proper check over the body. We will decide on a plan for how we're going to look into it – searches and interviews, things like that." Hermione replied diplomatically.

Teddy nodded, and looked over to James. Said man nodded towards the doors, and the older took this as a cue to head in that direction, saying goodbye to the Physician as he went. James followed quickly behind him, waving to Hermione as she entered conversation with the youngest two of the royal family.

Once the two had gotten outside, Teddy put his hands on James' shoulders. "You alright?"

"Yeah." He sighed, letting his shoulders relax with the release of breath. "I'm just hoping that this isn't bad news." He let himself be pulled into a gentle hug from the 25-year-old, relaxing further as he did so. After a several moments, he pulled out of the contact with a soft, "Thanks."

"You're Welcome." Teddy said, equally as soft. "Now, I was thinking of heading to the library to find something interesting. Care to join me?"

"Sure," The Prince said, deciding that the distraction would be good. They fell into step with each other towards the library, arriving there fairly quickly. The oldest Prince quickly settled into his favourite seat. Well, seat was generous. It was actually a window that he had placed numerous blankets and cushions in until it had started to resemble a chair. The staff had quickly learnt to leave it as it was. When he was comfortable, James rummaged around under the cushions until he found the book he was part way through reading. He had learnt from a young age that he had to hide the books he was reading if he wanted to finish them any time soon. It seemed that being the heir to the throne with two younger siblings meant that everything he wanted to read, they wanted to read too.

He looked up from the book when he felt a body settle on the seat next to him. Teddy grinned at him as he slotted himself into the remaining space on the windowsill-cum-seat. This action resulted in him being mostly curled around James. It didn't surprise the Prince at all that he was comfortable with the comfort, after all he'd known the older man since his own Birth. But the introduction of their imminent marriage made him more aware of the fact that his objections to the match weren't concerning the person at all. He wouldn't say he felt romantically for the older man. But he would say that he couldn't in the future.

He adjusted the way he was sitting, leaving his legs hanging over Teddy's and his side up against Teddy's chest. This enabled him to study the other without causing suspicion. Looks wise, Teddy was attractive. Nice eyes, soft looking hair, well groomed with obvious care for hygiene. And the council were right, they had always gotten along. Teddy could make him laugh, calm him down and he could equally make him unnecessarily angry when he wanted to (which was rare).

Apparently, there's only so much staring he could get away with before Teddy looked up from his own book with a curious look in his eyes.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry." He smiled reassuringly. "Just lost in thought."

He may not be in love with Teddy, but that didn't mean he couldn't have a very happy future with him. And who knows – maybe the love part will be solved over time?

Lord Cormac was the first of the council members to bring up the key topic of the meeting the next day.

"Well, while all this small talk is grand, this is an emergency meeting. It was called for a reason; can we address it please?" He asked, arrogance filling his tone, much to the disapproval of the older members of the council.

The King turned to Hermione, who took this as her cue to report her findings, "By the looks of the evidence found with the body, Lady Vane appears to have ingested a common mushroom that can be found in most local forests that span across Gryffindor, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. As I stated yesterday, they may have been picked accidentally and served as food. However, that does appear unlikely, I'm afraid. If that had been the case, there should have been more than one occurrence of illness or death."

James swallowed unhappily. Who knew what this could mean for the kingdom? As a council member was targeted, then there would be an impact upon the Kingdom itself. At the moment Gryffindor had no Head of Health, Accidents and Catastrophes.

Whilst James had been stuck in thought, his Father had turned to Lord Kingsley with his eyebrows drawn into a deep frown, "Kingsley. I want you to have your men to find out which of the serving staff were in the forest in the last few weeks. Find out what they were doing and have their stories corroborated." Said man nodded, sitting back in his seat. "Aberforth, I want you to make sure that an announcement is made noting Romilda's passing. But I want the story to be that it was an honest mistake, with nobody at fault. The interviews to take place are to ensure that no other accidents occur. This will hopefully mean that, if it is the result of suspicious activity, the culprit will feel more secure and be more likely to make mistakes in their attempts to cover their involvement."

James always admired his Father when he acted like this. He was always told that when King Harry was young, he had been reckless and selfless. Always running into trouble and rarely finding time for the rules. It was hard to believe that seeing the man now. It was also quite daunting – was he going to have to do things like this, when he was King?

"Finally," The King stated, "I feel that it may perhaps be prudent to postpone Jamie and Teddy's wedding by a few weeks?"

James lifted his head from his hand at this. That did sound like a good idea. It would give him and Teddy more time, and it would allow more focus to be placed on finding the root of the tragedy from the day before. But the idea was quickly shot down.

"No, absolutely not!" Lady Dolores snottily refused. "The council decided on a date, we will stick to it." She then turned on James, "I know you just want to get out of this, avoid your responsibilities but you need to mature and realise that this is bigger than you!" She scolded. James scowled. The dislike between them had always been obvious, but now she was just blaming him for things he'd had no involvement in. Before he could get his say though, Teddy spoke up:

"I'm sorry to push in, Lady Dolores, but firstly I feel like you forget who you are talking to and the level of respect that you should provide. Secondly, I think you'll find that James had no involvement in this. I believe that King Harry James merely suggested it so that the Kingdom would be able to dedicate their time to the more important matters at hand." He glared.

However, the only response the young Lord received was a snarled, "There's no changing it. The council has decided."

James couldn't help but mentally sing praises to Lady Minerva when she redirected the topic of discussion to the temporary replacement of Lady Vane before they could find a more permanent appointment to the position.


	5. Chapter 5

As he was shaken awake by a firm hand on his shoulder, James couldn't help but curse to himself. But it seems he was doomed to another early morning despite his need (want) for a lie in. But when he saw the alarmed face of his younger sister Lily trying to wake him, all thoughts of sleep were swept from his mind.

"Lils? What's happened?" He asked the 16 year old Princess.

"They found Lady Umbridge in her rooms this morning. She's dead, Jamie. From poison." His blood ran cold. He may never have liked the woman, but that didn't mean she deserved what had happened to her. On top of that, it suggested that there was indeed a culprit to be found. It wasn't co-incidental that the only two victims of the poisoning were members of the royal council.

The Prince hurriedly jumped out of bed and threw a tunic and some breeches on before following his sister to the Throne room. Inside there were a number of armed guards surrounding the royal family (including Teddy) and the remaining members of the council.

Upon the arrival of the Prince and Princess, the meeting started. In the end it was concluded that the interviews would proceed with increased urgency and other than this all other behaviours would continue as normal so as not to cause alarm. This included the wedding, the smug Lord McClaggen told the betrothed couple imperiously. Said men just glowered gloomily. It's not like a wedding seemed particularly appropriate during the circumstances in James' eyes.

Despite the best attempts made by Aberforth's staff, gossip soon started to spread and it wasn't long before the folk of Gryffindor started to suspect that there was something more than accidental food poisoning. As a result, the castle was rampant with conspiracies and rumours, ranging from lover's quarrels gone wrong to power plays.

The most concerning of them, in James' opinion at the very least, was brought to his attention by accident as he walked through the castle halls on the way to his combat training one day. He could quite clearly hear the hushed voices of around three or four people – hard to without seeing or knowing the exact identities.

"- they were arguing from what I could tell. It was all very hushed, and Lady Umbridge was never exactly a cheery one, but the words they were exchanging were not kind!" One voice said. "They'd just come out of the emergency council meeting. I wasn't meant to have seen, the only reason I saw was because I was cleaning the room after they had finished."

This would have been only a couple of days ago.

"Did you hear what was said?" One of them asked.

"Only a little bit. Something about how Lady Umbridge was pushing the Royal Wedding too much, going to hard on Prince James."

So far, there was nothing too worrying, but James could see where they were heading with their discussion. He decided to leave before he heard anything that put him in too bad a mood. Sadly, that was hard to avoid. Apparently the gossip over the two deaths had spread wide, and there was a consensus among the gossipmongers that the deaths were linked very clearly. Firstly they were both on the council. Secondly, both of the victims were very vocally supportive of the wedding between James and Teddy. It didn't take long for people to attach themselves to the idea that their deaths were linked to the topic, as it added a sense of romance and conspiracy.

The investigation was making sure to take into account the rumours – for there is no smoke without fire, as the saying goes.

Barely a fortnight following the most recent death, James was sat in one of the empty guestrooms in the castle. He sometimes did this when he couldn't leave for whatever reason to get to his clearing in the woods, but he needed time and space to think. He'd been there around an hour when there was a soft knock on the door before it opened slowly to reveal Teddy. He walked in and sat on the sofa in front of the unlit fireplace next to James.

"People don't usually find me when I'm in these rooms." James said, looking up at the older man.

"I'd like to be able to say I found you straight away." Teddy smiled, "But it took me a good hour of looking before I got here."

"Very dedicated. Whatever could you need that would require an hour of searching for me?" James asked with a tiny returning smile.

"Nothing too urgent, don't worry. I had just noticed that you have been rather quiet recently. Are you okay?"

"I'm just worried, with the council and the wedding and all." James admitted. He felt an arm circle around his shoulders, pulling him against Teddy's chest. The Prince went with it, enjoying the comfort of the other.

"I get that. But it will be fine. The killer will be found and the wedding… well, whilst it's not our first choice, we'll be fine. We will have each other." Teddy said, warmly.

James pulled off the other's chest and turned enough that he could see into his betrothed's eyes. He was startled at the realisation that he could happily kiss the man in front of him, and it wouldn't be weird. The idea was oddly appealing. Startled, his eyes flickered down to the older man's lips. The look barely lasted a moment before he looked back up to meet the eyes of his companion. But it was long enough for Teddy to notice.

"You can, if you want." The older man said.

"Sorry?"

"You can kiss me." James blushed drawing a smile from Teddy.

"Oh."

"We'll be married soon, Jamie. If you wanted, that marriage could be entirely political and our relationship entirely platonic. But," It was Teddy's turn to flush pink, "I must admit that I would very much like it if this whole thing was more than something only the council wants. Maybe marriage is a bit soon, but it has made me realise that I could be very happy with you." He confessed.

"Me too." The Prince mumbled back shyly. He wasn't usually shy, and the feeling was incredibly alien. It was Teddy! He'd grown up with him. It wasn't fair that he could create such a feeling in him. So after a few moment of silence as they took in the other's confessions, James decided to act. He wasn't shy, or meek. He was one day going to be King and Kings are not to be made shy by their (soon to be) spouses.

Their lips met in a rather clumsy and tentative fashion with Teddy released a startled breath before returning the soft kiss. At the feeling of the returning pressure, James pulled back enough to gain eye contact.

James took a moment to ascertain that Teddy had been okay with the sudden kiss. From the sparkle of happy surprise in his eyes, and the slight grin tugging at the corner of his (very kissable, James had discovered) lips, the man wasn't against it. So James decided to kiss him again. The second kiss was still gentle and chaste but more confident. It made the Prince feel warm and comfortable in a way that he knew would never fade like sparks sometimes did.

He enjoyed that his feelings for the older, though still developing romantically, appeared to be less intense and new, instead just developing into a feeling not too different from soaking in hot water after a hard day of work, or eating your favourite food for the first time in ages. Silly little feelings that actually can mean the world when you feel them.

As he lay in bed that night, thinking over the shift in his and Teddy's relationship, he realised that these feelings were not knew. He had never been hit by a massive rush of emotion. After all, as a boy he _had_ admired Teddy in a way that he would claim was just embarrassing hero-worship, but his Mother would tease him with calling it an adorable crush. Even when that had faded, and James had realised that Teddy was just another person, he'd always cared for the other. After all, they had pretty much grown up together. It wasn't unreasonable for the closeness and caring they shared platonically to develop given the right nurture and conditions.

Before he went to sleep James grudgingly admitted – only to himself, mind you – that perhaps the council members were right. They were a good match.


	6. Chapter 6

A week later and the pair were settling into their new dynamic quickly, often finding moments to share a quick kiss. However, there wasn't much adjustment to be had. Mostly, they stayed the same in their interactions so James found the new situation was an easy one to take in. They had chosen to try and keep it private, for no other reason that allowing an uninterrupted transition for the couple. As a Prince and a Ward of the King, privacy was something that was often difficult to find.

The two were currently riding their horses through the lower town with the intention of heading out to the forest. James had suggested that the two of them go and find some quiet time so they could just relax and talk. The castle was chaotic with a combination of wedding planning and searching for the perpetrator of the murders. Sadly, the chaos that brought also meant that King Harry and Queen Ginny felt more comfortable with their heir and ward/betrothed being with a guard at all times when outside the walls of the citadel.

Being far enough ahead of the guards to keep their conversation to themselves, Teddy leant as closely as he could to his younger partner without tumbling from his horse.

"What do you say we sneak out tonight, meet at your clearing?" He grinned cheekily at James.

James eyes darted around, looking for eavesdroppers, "How? Dad has the castle swimming with guards. I can't leave my room without having the corridors checked first! There's no way I can get out without them seeing!"

"Let me handle that, I'll create a distraction. Just know that you should leave your room at midnight tomorrow, and head for the stables. Don't bother saddling the horses, just reins and go, yeah." James nodded in assent to the instructions, letting a grin that matched Teddy's slip onto his lips.

The rest of their excursion went by fairly quickly, the pair racing around the forest with little care for the spectacle they made, giggling like children who'd been sent to buy sweets. After an hour or so had passed, James slowed to a steady walk on his horse and waved to the guards, signalling that they were to return to the castle. The ride back was as uneventful as the one there, and the two men were soon dismounting their horses and heading to the hall for dinner with wide grins on their faces.

"How was your day, Boys?" Queen Ginny asked, spotting the relaxed smiles they were wearing.

"It was good, Mother. Teddy and I went riding in the forest this afternoon. It was well needed I think!" James replied as the servants placed various foods onto the plate before him.

Lily and Albus both rolled their eyes. Neither of his siblings understood how he could enjoy such an activity. Albus was of the opinion that exploring the same woods all the time was a pointless and boring endeavour, which was why his role visiting foreign countries to form and maintain friendships suited him rather well. Lily however, was much more into her books. If she had her way then she'd spend the majority of her day in the library. Most other activities required of her were a chore.

"I'm glad you enjoyed your day" Ginny voiced, smiling at the pair of them. James had a feeling that she could see more of their relationship than the others of the room. That was fine, he knew she wouldn't say a thing until he did. His mother had always been wise (or at least that's what it seemed to him). She could probably work out what was happening.

"Yes, it's good that we can still relax after these last few days." King Harry said, earning a scowl from the Queen.

"Not at the table." She calmly voiced. James' Father sighed.

"I apologise." The rest of the table snickered. If they hadn't seen the way that King Harry was with his subjects, they would be fully able to believe that Queen Ginny was the true ruler from the way they interacted. He was willing to do most anything to prevent her fiery temper. Apparently she'd inherited it from Grandmother Molly.

After a while, the table had been cleared of food. The King and Queen stood from their seats, the others doing the same in response.

"Goodnight!" King Harry smiled at his children and ward before heading to his chambers with the Queen.

James just waved, before sending a quick smile to the others, it growing mischievous when directed towards Teddy, before heading in the direction of his own rooms. For the sake of not causing suspicion, he got ready for bed as usual, washing quickly before sorting through letters that would need addressing in the following days. There didn't seem to be any of import, but once the servants had left he decided to start writing replies so that he wouldn't be twiddling his thumbs waiting for midnight to come.

As soon as it had, he stood quietly and slipped on some trousers and boots, Leaving his night shirt as it was. It was decent enough to wear outside, if a little larger than he would normally wear in public. He then slid his door open, glad that it didn't squeak. Once he had confirmed that there were no guards, the oldest Prince quietly but swiftly headed down to the stables and grabbed the bridle, slipping it onto Marauder. He then jumped up onto the back of the horse and guided their way out of the courtyard. Once the prince was a safe distance from the citadel, he slowed to a stop and watched for Teddy.

After a long 10 minutes, he saw a rider head towards him. As they neared, he could make out the slim form of the older man and let out a relieved breath. They had actually managed to sneak out. They quickly headed for James clearing, sliding off the horses backs upon reaching it.

"Hey" James said, grabbing Teddy's hand, "You get out okay?"

"Yeah." He said, "I think someone saw me when I was getting to the stables, but I'm not worried. Probably just thought I was heading for a walk or something. Worst I'll get is a slap on the wrist for endangering myself."

James frowned, not liking that the other had been seen. "You should have been more careful, you know." Teddy just smiled at him, before planting a confident kiss on the younger's mouth.

"I'm fine." He whispered after he had pulled away. It was James that time that initiated the kiss. It was equally as comfortable as the first, and the younger let a soft hum sound out between them as Teddy licked his bottom lip for permission. Instead of granting it, the Prince pulled away with a sly grin on his face.

"You need to _earn_ that type of kiss you know." Teddy raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" James didn't answer. He just leaned into Teddy, pressing an open mouthed kiss to his neck, causing the older's breath to hitch slightly before pulling away to tie the horses up. He soon felt a warm form come up behind him and hands fall onto his waist.

"That wasn't very fair." Teddy grumbled petulantly.

"No, it wasn't." James chirped back cheerfully. "But that's life, so theres not much to be done I'm afraid." What also wasn't fair was the lack of warning he had before he was tackled onto the grass and fingers could be found tickling him in all over. He couldn't help the giggles that left his lips in an almost hysterical fashion as he tried to squirm and wriggle away from his partner. If he accidently scratched or kicked the other then it was his own fault. Suddenly, however, it stopped, and there was a warm weight above him and a face close to his own.

Teddy opened his mouth, most likely to say something smart. But before he could, James had rolled them so that he was perched on the other's stomach with a leg on either side of his waist. He leant forward and kissed Teddy, taking in the feel of his warm hands in James hair and on the small of his back and trying to show how happy he was in the kiss. This time when Teddy licked his lower lip in askance, he nipped his lip back before opening his mouth and letting the other in. He flushed with warmth at the feeling of Teddy's tongue brushing his own, the pair continuing to kiss until breath was needed. When James pulled back, there was a darker look in Teddy's eyes and the hand in his hair had tightened marginally.

James just grinned cheekily, pretending not to notice how his night shirt had slipped off his shoulder during their activities. During their making out he had also managed to slide into the older man's lap, and he pretended not to notice Teddy's reaction as well, as his thigh rubbed across the crotch of the other's trousers lightly.

Instead he just walked towards the horses, calling out, "We should probably head back!"


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, James' good mood was ruined by the sounds of guards (from the clunking of metal) running past below the window outside. He climbed out of bed and changed into his clothes for the day wondering absent mindedly where the servant who usually woke him was. By the position of the sun, they'd let him sleep at least an hour longer that usual. Normally he wouldn't complain, especially after a late night, but something felt off today. Shaking the thought, he stepped into the halls and headed towards the throne room. It appeared that the chaos radiated out from there, as shouts and cries could be heard from within.

"James! There you are!" Queen Ginny called as he entered the room, "Come here, stand behind your Father." He looked around. Despite the chaos, there were very few in the room. There was the King and Queen, himself, the council members, Hermione and a few of the high-ranking guardsmen.

"What has happened?" He asked the room. Most eyes swung over to him, before the cacophony of voices began again. However, James did just about manage to discern what was going on. A third noble, a third council member had been poisoned.

Like last time, Hermione was called forward to elaborate.

"Lord McClaggen was found dead in his rooms this morning," She recapped for James' sake, ignoring the impatient huffs of the remaining council members, "I haven't had much time to check over the body, but the death occurred between sundown and rise. I'm hoping that once this meeting is over I will be able to narrow this time slot sown somewhat, but I'm losing time as I speak." She sent a meaningful look at the King.

"Again, from preliminary observation the same poison was used as in the last two cases, leading me to believe it was either the same culprit or an… admirer copying the actions of the other."

King Harry nodded to Hermione, which she took as permission to leave. The Head of the guards was then called forward.

"There was no sign of a struggle, Sire, and nothing was missing. Only reason we can see behind it is that the person wanted Lord McClaggen dead."

The man went on to explain their findings from the invesitgations they had been carrying out, and that there had been a number of names that had been brought up repeatedly.

"We actually made an arrest today, Sire. He is currently in the jail cells below the palace, awaiting investigation and punishment for his crimes." The Head Guard stated proudly, glad to be able to bring his King news of progress in the investigation.

"Who is it?" the King asked, taking a small step forward. James did so also without realising it. They had all been anxious to catch the killer before the 3rd death. Now it was even more urgent. If they had finally caught them, it would prevent any more deaths!

The Guard's shoulders shifted as he seemed to brace himself, "Lord Lupin, Sire."

James felt all the blood rush from his face, and his head snapped to look at his Mother, who looked equally as shocked. King Harry said nothing, just walked backwards slowly and slumped in his throne with a drawn and tired look on his face. After a long stretch of excruciating silence, he finally spoke.

"What evidence do you have that lead you to the conclusion that T- Lord Lupin was the culprit?"

The entire throne room was deadly silent, waiting to hear the response.

"Well, Sire," The man cleared his throat, "He was seen by a couple of guards and a servant, wandering the castle last night without being accompanied by my men." When the silence stretched on further, he clarified.

"A-as this was common practice, the witnesses immediately thought this was suspicious. _Also_ , there were many servants who claimed during interviews that Lord Lupin was seen arguing with Lord McClaggen a few days ago. I do not mean to overstep, Sire, but it is thought by many that the deaths were related to the upcoming wedding," His eyes flicked to James before flitting away again. James ignored this as he continued to stare at the doors to the room, listening, "All who died were in favour and it is common knowledge that the two parties involved were less tha-"

"That is enough, My Lord." Harry commanded. He stood from the throne, waving his hand in dismissal before heading to the council chambers. James followed him, having snapped out of the daze he had been in. His mind was clouded with anger and upset. Teddy couldn't be the killer, could he?

He did say he would create a distraction, but never specified. James had assumed he'd just bang a few doors and make a commotion, but maybe he'd gone and…

But that didn't make sense. Poisoning someone doesn't cause a scene. And the body wasn't found until the morning. It couldn't have been him. A sick feeling crept up his throat, and he breathed deeply to push it down. He didn't blame himself for doubting Teddy. Any human would have in the same position. What mattered is that he had righted his thinking. Teddy was not the killer!

"Father, it wasn't Teddy!" He said upon entering the council chamber. King Harry was sat at his place at the table, head in his hands.

"You know this?" The black-haired man spoke with a calm that James knew was not good. His Father was angry, and disappointed.

"Yes! He was with me last night, we snuck out to the forest for a while." James cried. King Harry lifted his head and looked steadily at James.

"How long?"

"We left at midnight, and we were gone most of the night."

"He could have done it before you went, or after if he was quick Jamie." The King sighed.

"But he didn't! He wouldn't!"

"You don't know that!" The King shouted. James took a step back in alarm. His Father had never sounded so distraught. "I want to believe that he didn't. I brought him up, Jamie. I love him as much as I love you and your siblings. But the evidence suggests that he is at fault. There has been nothing presented as of yet to contradict that. I can't do anything. If he truly has murdered council members then there's nothing to do." He sagged back in his chair, tears rolling down his face.

After a moment, the Prince spoke up. "They'll have him executed." It wasn't a question. They both knew the answer. He sat next to his Father at the table, and began fiddling with his shirt hem. "We've been, closer these past few weeks. More than we were before, I'm sure you've noticed. I know Mother has. I love him, of course I do having grown up with him. I thought it'd be weird, but it's just comfortable. The feeling of old, platonic warmth turning into something different and unique. I don't know if I'm in love with him. Not yet. But I also wouldn't say I'm that far off. I don't want to lose him. I know it wasn't his fault that they're dead."

His Father didn't respond directly. Instead, the older man said without emotion, "His trial will be held as soon as Lord McClaggen's replacement has arrived. They are the jurors and I am the judge. They will not be kind to the killer of their own. And I will lose respect if I treated him any differently than I would a stranger. They will likely request that he dies by fire."

Anger rolled around James' mind. Teddy was not guilty. He wasn't. "I'll find evidence. I will prove that he didn't do it, Father."

King Harry nodded slightly. "Please do, Jamie. I don't want to lose him either."


	8. Chapter 8

Having left the council chamber, the Prince's first course of action was to go and visit Teddy. The trek down to the dungeons was longer than he recalled and the dread built up higher and higher as he got closer. By the time he reached the guards stationed at the entrance to the cells, James found himself worried that he wouldn't be able to voice his request.

"I-I'm here to see Lord Lupin." His voice was hoarse from distress, and he pulled himself up tall to reinforce the statement as a command. He was the Crown Prince, they couldn't stop him from seeing Teddy. As expected, the guards nodded. One stepped aside, whereas the other bowed and gestured for James to follow.

The guard showed him to one of the deeper and more secure cells that were reserved for the more dangerous criminals. Inside, Teddy was sat in the corner on a pile of straw that appeared to be serving as a bed. On the other side of the cell there was a bucket functioning as a toilet and on the floor by the door, there was a wooden bowl of water, and another of bread. At least they were feeding him, James thought, trying to keep his spirits up for Teddy.

Having heard the footsteps, the older male looked up, a small and tired smile pulling the corner of his mouth upon seeing James. He clambered up off the floor and walked towards the bars.

"Leave us." James commanded softly to the guard, who nodded and stepped back far enough that he couldn't overhear conversation, but close enough to intervene should anything occur or prevent anything that would aide escape from being passed over.

"I'm sorry, Teddy, I-"

"Shush, it's not your fault. I promise though that it wasn't me who killed him. I would never." He stopped, staring at James to look for a response.

"I know. I tried telling Father that you were with me last night, and I tried telling him that it wasn't you."

"He didn't believe you, did he?" Teddy whispered.

"He wanted to. You should have seen him. He was broken by the thought that you ki-" He took a breath, "Killed three people. But he's the King. He said he needed evidence."

Teddy's shoulders sagged upon hearing what his lover had said.

"I… can understand that."

James glanced back at the guard before reaching through the cell bars and grabbing the other's hand. The guard took a step forward, but nothing more. The 20 year old looked back at Teddy.

"I'm going to prove you innocent. I cant let you be punished for this. You didn't do it."

"How?!" Teddy burst out with a desperate hysteria edging into his tone, "The entire royal guard has been unable to find anything yet. How will you find anything they can't?!"

James took a shaking breath, "I don't know, but I'm sure they've missed something. I'll…" He took a second to think, "I'll go and speak to Hermione first about the body. She was going to investigate it further. And I'll ask about the poison. I won't be able to go and look at McClaggen's rooms, they'll be checked by guards and then cleaned in preparation for his replacement's arrival. I will get you out though, I promise."

Teddy's eyes flicked away from his at this, most likely unwilling to believe the promise. James wasn't hurt by the doubt. Things were hardly in their favour at present. But he meant it. Teddy was getting out of that cell.

"You mean a lot to me. He said, before pulling his hand away and turning. He needed to get to Hermione.

"James!" He heard Teddy shout. Quieting the guard, who had been about to tell the other off for the lack of proper address, he turned to the 25 year-old man. "You mean a lot to me too. Thank you for doing this."

James could only send him a sweet smile before heading off on the hunt for evidence.

Hermione was writing something into a journal when James knocked on the door, and the noise prompted her to allow the ink to dry before closing the book, looking up to see who had answered the door.

"James. I didn't expect to see you here. What is it you need?" She asked with a kind but stern tone.

"I was wondering if you could tell me some information about the deaths." He spoke clearly. He was going to get what he wanted. He was.

Hermione looked at him for a minute or two, finding what he didn't know, but she eventually nodded her consent and gestured him over towards the corpse on the table at the back of the room.

"What is it that you wish to know, James." She was one of the few who would call him that without title. He thought over her question before coming up with a couple of queries. He voiced the first to her.

"Do you know more specifically when Lord McClaggen died?" She smiled approvingly. Apparently the question was not a stupid one.

"I believe I have narrowed the window of death slightly. When someone dies, all of the muscles in their body tense," James nodded, already knowing this from his tutoring in the sciences, "If you observe, the larger limbs are not yet tense."

Hermione demonstrated by moving a leg, that had no form and so was easy to manoeuvre.

"When one dies, it has been observed that the smaller muscles are quicker to tense than the larger. So I feel fairly confident that, as the facial muscles and some of the smaller muscles in the torso, hands, feet etc. are tense, the death was a number of hours ago, but it couldn't have been earlier than about midnight or later than around 3 hours past midnight."

Three hours past midnight. They hadn't been back by that point, James knew this for sure, as they waited for the change of the guards at 5 hours past midnight to get back into the castle. Teddy was innocent and there was the proof. The young man then realised that the Physician was waiting on his next question.

"What is the poison?"

"The poisonous substance appears to be an incredibly concentrated herbal tonic made from Taraxacum officinale, or Dandelions."

"Dandelions?" They were part of the every day diet of many of the castle's inhabitants. They grey naturally all over the country, and were quite enjoyable to eat as when paired with a number of different foods, "They're poisonous?"

"When they're as concentrated as it appears they were when administered to Lord McClaggen and the others, yes. They contain many beneficial minerals, but if you have too much of a good thing then it wont be good anymore. By the looks of it, enough was given to cause respiratory failure shortly afterwards."

"Thank you, Lady Hermione." He nodded at her, and she walked back to her desk to resume her work. He took this as dismissal and turned, leaving to talk with his Father. He said he would find evidence, and he had. There was no way that Teddy could have done it, he wasn't there when the murder occurred.

A short walk had him at the door of his Father's chambers and study. He knocked, and waited until he heard permission before he entered the room. King Harry was sat at his desk, Queen Ginny leaning against the desk with a comforting hand on his shoulder. They both looked exhausted.

"What is it, Jamie?" The Queen asked.

"I have proof." At her confused look, he elaborated, "That it wasn't Teddy." She stood and glanced back at her husband. Said man looked up from the paperwork in front of him and waved him forward.

James sat at the chair on the opposite side of the table, barely on the edge with his excitement at finding something.

"He couldn't have done it, Father. He was out of the castle with me at the time. I've just spoken to Lady Hermione, who said she narrowed it down to between midnight and 3 hours past. We were both gone between midnight and 5 hours past!"

Hope had risen in James' heart, and it appeared the same had grown in his parents. They looked like a weight had been taken off their shoulders.

"So we can let him out, right?" James asked.

"I'm afraid not, Jamie. I'm glad to hear that you've found that, but you need more. It's enough to give me hope but it could be argued that he sent someone else to do it, or that it was a slow acting poison that he administered elsewhere. We need proof that he was not the maker of the poison or the one to conspire against the now dead council members." King Harry spoke.

James was about to retort, angry at the refusal to do anything, but his Mother spoke before he could.

"Jamie, your Father and I believe you. Of course we do, we love Teddy too. But we need to ensure there is no way that Teddy did it. You did well, sweetheart. We just need that little bit more to be able to fully agree with your line of argument."

James growled under his breath, but nodded all the same. He could see their side of it. But that didn't mean he was a fan of it. "I promised both you and him that I would find the evidence to acquit him of this crime, and I will."

The King and Queen nodded, pride shining through the sadness and stress.


	9. Chapter 9

Prince James spent the rest of the day almost storming around the castle and surrounding area, trying to gather as much information as possible. Frustratingly, there was very little to be found. He now knew where the plant was likely picked to reach the castle plates, and how it was prepared – not a way that could lead to accidental poisoning, gladly.

Tired, hungry and having missed dinner, James forwent asking the servants for a plate to be brought to his room and headed directly down to the kitchens to himself. He got several odd looks from the servants, but his occupation with thoughts of the murders meant that he didn't notice. Similarly, he did not notice the servant walking towards him with a large basket until said object was upside down on the floor alongside its contents.

"I'm sorry!" He stated, stooping to help the middle-aged woman as she also attempted to gather her cargo.

"Don't worry, young Sire! I can sort this, you go on." She attempted to insist, pushing some dark hair streaked lightly with grey away from her face and dark eyes. But he was already piling the herbs she had dropped into the basket, before picking it up and handing it to her. She curtseyed with a small thank you before rushing off.

It was only by the time that he had reached the kitchen entrance that he realised that the servant had been carrying a rather large basket of dandelions away from the kitchens and towards the servants quarters. Before he could rush off after the woman, he felt a wave of weakness reminding him that he hadn't eaten in a while. So he continued on his quest for food, grabbing enough for himself and another, before heading in the direction of the dungeons.

Upon arrival, he headed to Teddy's cell, the guard once again giving them space at his request. Teddy smiled James and took the food eagerly.

"How are you?" James asked.

"As well as I can be, all things considered. How are you?"

"I'm alright. Feeling better now I have some evidence to back you up." Teddy shifted hearing this, eager to know. "Well, Hermione said that McClaggen was killed between midnight and three hours past." Teddy nodded, knowing what that meant, "And, it's nothing concrete but Hermione also said it was a poison made from dandelions. On the way to get food just now I saw a serving woman carrying a large basket of dandelions towards the serving quarters. Suspicious right?"

Teddy chewed on the bread and cheese James had supplied, thinking before offering a reply, "What do you plan to do now?"

"I suppose take it to Father, have it investigated by the guards." By the time the Prince had finished the sentence, the older was shaking his head.

"No, they'd be too obvious. If that servant is the culprit, she'd hide the evidence when she heard they were holding a search. You should go and investigate it yourself. Be quiet, and careful. Don't put yourself in danger. But you'll be a lot less obvious than a group of guards. Just borrow some less conspicuous clothes!" He reached forward to pick at the obviously expensive clothes James was wearing.

James smiled despite himself and took Teddy's hand in his, planting a soft kiss on it before letting go and standing from his spot on the floor. He said his goodbyes to Teddy and instructed the guard to have the plates cleared before leaving in search of some plainer clothes.

Having snuck a pair of servants clothes out of the palace laundry, the dark-haired man changed quickly, leaving his clothes in his chambers. He then headed towards the servant's quarters, keeping his head down to prevent anyone from recognising him. He was quite proud when Lily passed by without issue, but later attributed that to the book she had her nose buried in (most likely related to the apprenticeship in Ravenclaw; she was leaving a few days following the wedding and wished to be fully prepared) that his brilliant sneaking skills.

Before long, he was in the servants quarters. He believed that the serving woman worked the day shift, as he recalled seeing her attend to various castle dwellers during the day. Conveniently, if she were the killer that would mean she was free from tasks in the night, when the victims were murdered. Also it meant that she shouldn't be too close by. Therefore any rooms with a sleeping servant within were ones that he would leave out of his search for now.

The first few rooms were empty both superficially and when he did a deeper and more thorough search. But he wasn't losing motivation. It actually made him more determined to find the evidence he needed. Half an hour before those working the day, the 20-year-old finally found what he was looking for. He had literally stumbled across it, having moved the bed in one of the rooms to check behind (he was being very thorough) and tripped over a lopsided flagstone in the floor, causing the stone to shift in place. It revealed a large hole in the floor that had been filled with dandelions, some chemists equipment and some phials of a dark liquid.

He put it back carefully, bar a couple of phials and other smaller bits, to prevent suspicions being aroused too early before combing through the rest of the room. He eventually found a few letters that he skimmed before pocketing. It was rare that servants could read for one, and two they detailed the process of making the poison. Most worryingly, however, most were signed by notable members of the Deatheaters.

The Deatheaters were the remnants of the followers of Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort had not been ruler of any Land, but was a powerful man who felt it best if he were to rule all of Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. King Draco's father had been a supporter of this idea, with the belief that he would become second in command of the four lands. Following his defeat, lead by James' Father, many followers had fled to Slytherin for safety. King Lucius had died in the battle, but Draco, whilst not a fan of Lord Voldemort's ideas, sympathised with those who claimed to be forced into it and gave them a place to live without repercussions from the war.

The idea that Deatheaters were involved was alarming. It could only be assumed that they were attempting to cause unrest in the region so that they could take advantage of the weakness and bring Gryffindor to it's knees.

James couldn't allow this! He had to get to King Harry – not only did he have concrete proof that it wasn't Teddy, but he had evidence in his hands of a more sinister plot. He turned to head out of the door, placing the letters in his bag and the phials in his pocket, only to run into the killer herself.

Pansy, from what he could gather from the letters, was stood with a look of terrified shock on her face. She had clearly seen him handling the evidence, that she had been caught. He hesitated, not knowing how best to get her to co-operate. But this hesitation meant that she had the time to lunge towards him, toppling him over into the bed which shattered under the force. Then she was on him, smacking his head into the stone floor before reaching into his pocket and grabbing the phial in there. The knock of his head had left the Prince disorientated, and his struggling was weak as the older woman opened the phial and poured it down his throat. She had managed half by the time that one of his flailing hands caught hers and caused it to smash against the wall.

The last thing he felt was Pansy's form being lifted off him before his head wound got the better of him and he lost consciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

Coming around, Prince James noticed that his head really, hurt. He also noticed that his breathing felt strained, like he had just run a long distance. He tried to speak, to ask what was happening, but all that resulted in was coughing. However, the coughing did cause a number of people to crowd around him.

James looked up at his Parents and Siblings, Teddy and Hermione. They all looked both concerned and relieved simultaneously, which made James wonder what exactly had happened.

"Give him room, please!" Hermione commanded, the others doing as told. She then gave him some water and sat him up in his bed gently.

"What's wrong with me?" He asked.

"You were attacked. The same person who killed the council members, Jamie. Only they hurt your head too." Ginny spoke softly, "You were right, though. It wasn't Teddy. And you found the evidence. I just wish you'd been more careful!"

"Yeah, I told you to be cautious, you idiot!" Teddy smiled with relief.

James took a moment to recall what they were talking about, and after a moment it started to become clearer. He remembered it all perfectly, until he was knocked on the head that is. Then he realised that Teddy was there!

"You're out!" He smiled at the other male.

"Yeah, thanks to your stupidly heroic actions I am." He leaned forward to place a kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Thank you, Jamie." James flushed and flicked his eyes to his family but they just looked on with happiness.

Hermione, however, broke the happy moment, "Right, James. You need to be very careful. No ever exerting yourself for the next few weeks. Your lungs were damaged – not irrepairably, but even so. You were incredibly lucky that you were given an incomplete version of the poison, and that you did not get what, for ease, I will refer to as a full dose. Your head injury was not sever, just a cut and concussion. Again you were lucky." She sent a disapproving look at him.

"Sadly, I can't say you will return back to normal. As you know, you were previously informed of being able to carry children and provide an heir for the throne. Whilst you are still able to do so, it will be considerably more difficult for you to conceive successfully. However, that appears to be the only permanent damage. You're very lucky!" She lectured.

Having said this, she made sure he was okay before leaving him to his family. It wasn't too difficult to come to terms with the long-lasting damage, purely because he could still have children. It wasn't the end for his and Teddy's family. They _could_ still have children. They'd deal with the difficulty of conception together. Because Teddy was free. Free and ready to marry him in just over 2 weeks. James suddenly caught up with his thoughts. Was the wedding still on?

He asked his family such, and they nodded their assent. They needed some good news for the people for once. However, it seemed he'd been out longer than he'd realised. It was only a week away. One short week. The dread he'd held in his stomach when first hearing about the councils plans had melted into excitement, and he revelled in the butterflies that fluttered in his stomach at the thought of being tied to the man gripping his hand with tenderness.

"What else have I missed whilst I was out?"

"Well," Albus started, "Lord McClaggen's replacement, Uncle Bill arrived the day after all this happened, and the killer's trial was held two days ago now!"

King Harry took over the story, "Pansy Parkinson was her name. I'm shocked I didn't recognise her, I fought against her in the war. She was working with Deatheaters, trying to weaken the council. That way we'd be focused so much on the goings on here that they could start a riot in the streets and take the country. Apparently they've had agents causing unrest in the people. Now that the plot has been revealed we can counter it. It's just alarming how quietly this has occurred. We need to be more involved with the citizens of Gryffindor." He told James. The Prince knew that was a job he'd have to carry on well into his reign, when the time came.

"What was her sentence?"

"Burning." A sentence only reserved for the most despicable crimes. James knew that the punishment was more for the plot than the murder. He also knew that his Father would make sure that his subject knew this too.

After spending the morning with them, his family soon left to allow James and Teddy some time together.

"Thank Merlin you're okay." James sighed as soon as the door shut.

Teddy pressed forward to place a kiss on the Prince's lips gently, "I should be the one saying that to you after the stunt you pulled. _Never_ do that again! Or I'll be the one to kill you."

James just chuckled, pulling the older man into the bed with him before falling asleep.

The day of the wedding came quickly, and before James knew what was happening he was being pulled from his bed by servants who were attempting to make him presentable for his husband-to-be. Before he was ready, he was stood at the head of the throne room, waiting for Lord Theodore Lupin to enter the room and give his vows.

Suddenly, the doors opened and he walked in. Teddy looked frustratingly handsome in his robes, and James tried desperately to stop his jaw dropping at the sight. He reckoned that he'd been successful until he heard his siblings giggle. He glanced at them and Al gestured that he should close his mouth.

He soon forgot his embarrassment though, as Teddy reached his side and grabbed his hand tightly. The Prince was able to walk, but was still a bit weak and his betrothed liked to make sure he was there just incase.

THe wedding vows came up quickly, and the pair gladly promised to love and care for the other, be devoted and united together until their lives reached an end. And when it was done, when James and Teddy wore matching rings, they kissed for the crowd.

If James took the opportunity to subtly grab the other's arse, who could blame him? Similarly, if Teddy took the opportunity to tease James with seductive looks as he swayed sexily to the music later that evening, who was to blame him?


End file.
